Hypoglycaemia as a possible cause of transient ischaemic attack in a patient with multiple vascular risk factors.
An elderly, fibrillating, diabetic hypertensive patient in heart failure is at risk of stroke from all her cardiovascular morbidities. When such a patient presents with stroke, it is usually difficult to squarely incriminate one. Consequently, precious time is lost while care givers conduct expensive investigations to make a definitive diagnosis. This case report is on one such patient, in whom hypoglycaemia was a plausible cause. Treatment resulted in dramatic recovery. Had neurological complication of drug induced hypoglycaemia not been suspected, the hemiplegia might have become permanent; and any of her risk factors given as a rational explanation. Therefore when a diabetic on treatment presents with stroke, care givers should perform immediate blood glucose test to exclude hypoglycaemia; not withstanding the existence of other risk factors.
Okeahialam
B N
BN
Department of Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. basokeam@yahoo.com
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications*
D001786:Blood Glucose